1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a sliding assembly for a portable electronic device, and more specifically to a track and wheel sliding assembly engaging two halves of a portable electronic device.
2. Background Art
Portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones for example, have become increasingly popular. According to the CTIA, nearly 220 million people use mobile telephones in the United States alone.
Traditional electronic devices come in different styles, two of which include the “candy bar” and “flip.” A candy bar style device is generally rectangular in shape with both keypad and display visible and accessible at all times. A flip style device generally includes a mechanical hinge between the two halves of the device. When the flip style device is closed, keypad and display are generally inaccessible.
In the world of mobile telephones, some consumers prefer the candy bar style phone due to its ease of use. When an incoming call is pending, a candy bar phone may be retrieved from a pocket and answered with a single hand, as the keypad is always exposed. The candy bar device suffers from two limitations, however. One limitation of the candy bar phone is that the keypad may become scratched and damaged due to their constant exposure. A second limitation is that the buttons may accidentally be pressed when in a pocket or purse if they are not first “locked,” which is sometimes accomplished by pressing a sequence of buttons.
Flip style devices solve some of these problems. Flip phones keep the keypad and display protected when not in use. As such, the keypad and display are not as easily damaged as with candy bar phones. Further, the buttons generally cannot be inadvertently pressed. However, flip phones also have limitations. One such limitation is that the display size in a flip phone is typically limited to only half of the overall size of the phone, as the hinge is generally located in the middle of the open phone.
Device manufacturers have alternatively introduced sliding phones, having two housing portions where one housing portion of the device slides away relative to the other. However, traditional sliding mechanisms have associated concerns. First, the amount of slide is generally limited. Traditional sliding devices require as much as twenty to thirty millimeters of travel distance overlap, which results in a larger overall product. Where a mobile telephone is approximately 50 mm wide, this travel distance overlap can sometimes leave insufficient room for a QWERTY keypad. Second, traditional sliding mechanisms often bind when the two halves of the device are not pushed together properly. This binding occurs when one side of the sliding mechanism is closed more rapidly than the other. Despite these concerns, sliding phones remain a popular choice among consumers.
There is thus a need for an improved sliding mechanism and associated device that both allows significant slide travel with minimal part overlap and reduces binding when the two housing portions of the sliding device move relative to each other.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.